Everyday I walk through hospital doors and meet veterans who have experienced traumatic events, and everyday I am amazed at their resiliency, their bravery and their strength. I work at the National Center for PTSD at the Boston Veterans Affairs Hospital, and I get to witness firsthand the tenacity of veterans ready to get up and fight against their mental health disorders. Not only am I witness to the fighters, but I also get to see their providers who fight alongside them. In a world where war is so apparent, I get to see the power of people caring for one another. 

My passion for supporting the military and our veterans started when I was 8 years old and I told my mum I wanted to be in the military. She thought it was just a phase that would pass. But here we are, 15 years later, and that little girl is seeing her dream come true. Today, I work at the VA Hospital, on a trajectory to graduate school, for clinical psychology, to become a military psychologist working with soldiers who have suffered from traumatic events and experiencing PTSD.

Last April, I ran my first marathon - the Boston Marathon - in support of the Gillian Reny Stepping Strong Center for Trauma Innovation that transforms research and care to help support soldiers and civilians who have suffered from traumatic injuries and events.

This April, I am honoured to be running the 2018 London Marathon for Team Combat Stress to continue supporting soldiers and veterans  affected by PTSD. Combat Stress is the U.K.'s leading charity for veterans' mental health. For almost a century, they've helped former servicemen and women deal with issues like trauma, anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Thank you for supporting this extraordinary cause. Together, we can serve those who have served and transform outcomes for the lives of our veterans.

Please visit https://www.combatstress.org.uk for more information about the incredible work Combat Stress is doing.